A statement of the claims of Charles T. Jackson, M.D. to the discovery of the applicability of sulphuric ether to the prevention of pain in surgical operations / By Martin Gay ... [With appendix].

  • Martin Gay
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A statement of the claims of Charles T. Jackson, M.D. to the discovery of the applicability of sulphuric ether to the prevention of pain in surgical operations / By Martin Gay ... [With appendix]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/52 page 12
    office of Dr. Jackson, and requested the loan of an India rubber bag, for the purpose of administering atmospheric air to a patient, in order to act upon her imagination, and to induce her to permit him to extract a tooth. He was dis¬ suaded from the attempt by Dr. Jackson. There was also some conversation concerning nitrous oxide. Their con¬ versation upon the above named subjects lasted for some time. It was finished, and no request had been made by Mr. Morton to Dr. Jackson to suggest to him any process, by which teeth might be extracted without pain. Mr. Mor¬ ton had left the apparatus room, in which most of this con¬ versation had occurred; he went into the office on his way to the street, when he was followed by Dr. Jackson, and stopped by him. Dr. Jackson then informed Mr. Morton, that he could impart to him a means of producing a gene¬ ral insensibility, during which, he was confident, surgical operations might be performed without pain. He commu¬ nicated to Mr. Morton all that it was necessary he should know, for the performance of this experiment. He inform¬ ed him, that the substance to be used was the vapor of sulphuric ether. He gave him directions concerning the de¬ gree of purity requisite in the ether to be used. He assured him of the certainty of the induction of the insensibility, and of the safety of the operation, if properly performed. He gave instructions in the most minute detail ; so that nothing whatever was left for Mr. Morton to devise in any part of the process, for the successful performance of the operation. Dr. Jackson distinctly assumed the responsibility of the application. It is evident from Mr. Morton’s inquiry, respecting sulphuric ether, “ is it a gas ?” that he was entirely ignorant of its appearance and quali-
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3